Improvement in galvanic batteries



-G. M. HOPKINS. Galvamio-BMisery. No. 219,477. Pa'med'sepf. 9,1879.

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GEORGE M. HOPKINS, OF NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND OYRUS L. TOILIFF, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN GALVANIC BATTERIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No: 219,477, dated September 9, 1879; application filed d November 2G, 1878. i

To all whom it may concern:

Flg. 1, showing the battery in condition for action.v

My improvement relates to that class oi' galvanic batteries in which two liuids and a porous diaphragm are used; and it consists in devices for displacing the two iuids, so as to cause them to envelop the two poles oi" the battery and the upper portion of its diaphragm, the latter having a glazed lower portion, for preventing the mixture of the two fluids when the battery is not in operation.

The object of the invention is to prevent action on the zinc and to avoid the intermixture of the two battery-fluids when the battery is not in use, thus prolonging the usefulness of the battery, and avoiding the neces.

sity ot' frequent cleaning.

In the bottom of the jar A'there is an elevated portion, B, upon which rests the porous cell O. The hollow cylindrical zinc D surrounds the porous cell, and is suspended by wires a from the cover E. An annular plunger, F, surrounds the elevated portion of the bottom, and is of sufficient internal diameter to move readilyr up or down over the zinc. This plunger is connected by two rods, b, whichextend through holes in the cover E, with the crossbar G.

The porous cell C is furnished with alining, c, which covers the bottom and extends from one-third to one-half the distance from the bottoni to the top of the cell. This lining may consist of glazing, such as is commonly applied to pottery, or a coating' of battery-cement or gutta-percha, or even common sealing-wax may answer the purpose. The portion of the porous cell thus coated contains a sufficient the cell to remain porous is to allow the fluidv which is least liable to crystallize to iill the entire wall of the cell by capillarity, so that it is always in a moist condition and ready for in stan-t action.

Whentime is of no special importance, and the fluids used are not liable to crystallization, t-he porous cell may be coated or glazed on both sides for a portion of its length-from the bottom upward. V

A By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the lower end of the porous cell dips more or less in the outer solution when the plunger F is raised.

The porous cell C contains, in the present case, a hollow cylindrical carbon, H, which is suspended from the cover by a wire, and within it there is a cylindrical plunger, I, which is connected by a rod, J, with the cross-bar G. In the cover E there is a sleeve, d, through which the rod J passes. This sleeve is provided with a set-screw, c, by which the rod J may be clamped in any position.

NVhen the plun gers F I are drawn up as high as possible, the outer iiuid retreats below the zinc, but maintains its connection with the porous cell, and the exciting-'fluid in the porous cell retreats into the glazed or non-porous portion. In this condition the battery may remain for an indefinite time, it vbeing only necessary to supply the water lost by evaporation.

When it is desired to use the battery, the setscrew c is loosened and the plungers F I are pushed down into the uids, displacing them so that the zinc, the carbon, and the porous cell are properly covered.

Awvire, f, from the' Zinc D communicates with the binding-post g, fastened to the cover; and a.- wire, h, from the carbon H communicetes with the binding-post 't'. also secured to the cover.

As the battery may be made in various forms, I do not limit or confine my invention to the exact construction and arrangement herein shown and described.

Having described my invention, I cla-iml. A gah-'anic battery in which the two liquids are so displaced by the plungers F I as to cause them to envelop the two poles of' the bitttery and the upper portion of its diaphragm.

2. In a galvanic battery, the plungers F I, for displacing the battery-fluids.

3. In a galvanic battery, the porous diephregm C, having :t non-porous portion, c, for the reception of the exciting-Huid, in com bination with the fluid-displacing plunger I.

4. 'IWo plungers connected by rods with a single moss-bar, inv combination with the fluidcontaining compartments or receptacles of :L galvenic battery.

GEO. M. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

`O. L. TOPLIFF, O. SEDGWIGK. 

